It may seem hard to believe, but a 1910 law made it illegal to gamble in Las Vegas. Nevada formally legalized gambling in the state in 1931 and the world map of slot machines and table gaming has forever been changed. This neon spectacular one-of-a-kind destination is known everywhere in the world. However, Nevada is so much more than the bright lights of one big city. Most of the state is desert, but the Sierra Nevada mountain range, near Reno, and the Ruby Mountains near Elko, have snow for half the year. In fact, the state takes its name from a Spanish word meaning snow-capped.

Nevada became the 36th state on October 31st, 1864. With an area of 110,567 square miles, it is the 7th biggest state in the USA. Nevada's population of nearly 2 million people makes it the 35th most populace state. Approximately 60,000 people are moving to the Las Vegas area each year. Major industries are tourism, of course, with visitors to Vegas alone topping 36 million. Other industries are mining of gold and silver, and hydro-electric power. Nevada holds the allure of the mythical Las Vegas, but also the natural scenic beauty and the year round temperate climate will have you have you singing along with the State Song, "Home Means Nevada."

Now that you are moving to Nevada, impress your family and friends with these fun facts:

State Capital is Carson City.

Largest City is Las Vegas.

Nevada is the largest gold-producing state in the nation and is second in the world behind South Africa.

The state bird of Nevada is the Mountain Bluebird.

Hoover Dam, the largest public works project in US history, contains 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete, enough to pave a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York.

Lake Tahoe, straddling the border of Nevada and California, is the second deepest lake in the United States. You can gamble on the Nevada side, but not in California.

The first group to hold a convention in Las Vegas was a group of shriners from Los Angeles in 1935.

Shrimp consumption in Vegas is more than 60,000 pounds a day -- higher than the rest of the country combined.

It would take 288 years for one person to spend one night in every hotel room in Las Vegas, home to more hotel rooms than any other place on earth.

Average number of pillowcases washed daily at MGM Grand is 15,000.

State Motto: All For Our Country.

The first slot machine was invented in Reno, Nevada in 1899 by Charles Fey.

There were 16,067 slots in Nevada in 1960. By 1999, the state had 205,726 slot machines, one for every 10 residents.

85% of the state is federally owned, including the secret Area 51 near the town of Rachel.

State Nickname: Silver State, Sagebrush State.

State Flower is the Sagebrush.

The Dunes, demolished in 1993, was the first resort to feature topless showgirls in a show called Minsky's Follies.

The longest running Vegas show is the Tropicana's Folies Bergere. It opened in 1959.